The start of Summer

Today is the official start of Summer and I couldn't be more excited!  I love summer.  I even enjoy the heat that summer brings.  I know I am crazy for enjoying the heat but for me that means Sun tea, eating on the porch, swimming, cook outs, playing outside, Vitamin D, family reunions, vacations and all the other wonderful aspects of summer.

This year our summer is even more exciting with the addition of a baby girl.  We are so excited that we get to spend this summer as a family watching our daughter discover all the new and fun things there are to do.  Last year it was just to early for her to be out in the fun. ( She came home from the hospital 4 days after the start of summer)  For the last couple of days, we have decided that we are going to eat outside on our porch as a family.  Sarai is finally starting to eat normal foods, and we figured that we should make meal times a focus in our family.  I still haven't gotten to the point where I can allow cooking the meal a family activity however we sure enjoy it together.

Last night as I sat on the porch watching my husband and daughter goof off with each other, I got to thinking that it was a shame that I wasn't able to enjoy it too.  I am always thinking about the next task I have to do in my day, even though dinner time is the end of the night for us.  I am always sitting there pondering what I am going to make for dinner the next night instead of enjoying the meal that I have prepared for that night.  Is this whole I look at other aspects of my life?  Is this the way the God intended me to spend my time?

I am naturally a worrier.  Its just in my nature to think 5 steps down the road and miss out the pothole in front of me.  I wonder if the reason that I worry so much is because I haven't given it up to God.  I know that for me I have a really hard time giving up control in every area of my life.  I have to make sure everything goes the way that I want it to go or I get frustrated with my life.  As I have been looking towards God's word more and more for answers of becoming a Proverbs 31 wife, I have discovered that it is not my job to worry.  In fact, Paul writes in Philippians 4 : 6-7 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

A sense of God's wholeness will come and settle you down. What a powerful phrase that is "settle you down".  How many times have we seen what worrying does to us?  I know for me that when I am worrying about something I am not sitting still or relaxed.  I am jumpy.  I am like a kid on a playground.  I can not be contained.  But here in this verse we are told that if we take our worry and turn it into prayer we will be settled down by God's wholeness.  Doesn't that just fill you up knowing that you wont be given a little part of him, but rather all of him to settle you down.  While I know that this does not directly relate towards becoming a proverbs 31 wife, for me it is every bit important to the journey as any other step.

And that is today's step towards becoming a Proverbs 31 wife.